Salman Butt and Pakistan bowlers jailed for no-ball plot - BBC News Salman Butt and Pakistan bowlers jailed for no-ball plot 3 November 2011 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption The charges related to the fourth Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's in August 2010 Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt has been jailed for 30 months for his part in the conspiracy to bowl deliberate no-balls in last year's Test match against England. Former world number two Test bowler Mohammad Asif, 28, was jailed for one year and bowler Mohammad Amir, 19, has been sentenced to six months. Cricket agent Mazhar Majeed was jailed for two years and eight months. Knowing when no-balls will be bowled can be of great value in betting scams. The judge, Mr Justice Cooke, said cricket matches would forever be tainted by the scandal. In his sentencing remarks, which have been published online, he told the defendants: "'It's not cricket' was an adage. It is the insidious effect of your actions on professional cricket and the followers of it that make the offences so serious.

"The image and integrity of what was once a game but is now a business is damaged in the eyes of all, including the many youngsters who regarded you as as heroes and would have given their eye teeth to play at the levels and with the skills that you had." 'Sad day' BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew tweeted: "Let's hope this is the necessary deterrent to restore the integrity of cricket. Tempted? Think again. Caught=prison." The Pakistan Cricket Board said the conviction of the players was "a sad day for Pakistan cricket". In February all three players were banned for five years by the International Cricket Council. All three are appealing against their suspensions. Media captionAmir's mother and Butt's sister speak to the BBC But former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan said they should have been given lifetime bans. The three players have all been ordered to pay compensation towards prosecution costs. Butt, 27, was ordered to pay £30,937, Amir £9,389 and Asif £8,120. The men were arrested after the fourth Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010.

An undercover News of the World (NOTW) reporter paid Majeed £150,000 for details of the precise timing of three no-balls, which the players were persuaded to bowl, which were extremely valuable on the spot-fixing betting market. Majeed claimed to have paid Asif £65,000, Butt £10,000 and Amir £2,500. Investigative journalism The judge told all the players they would be released on licence half way through their sentences if they behaved. The trial heard that the cheating would never have been exposed without the investigative journalism of the NOTW.

Image caption Butt (pictured) and the other two players have been banned from cricket for five years The judge said: "Whenever people look back on a surprising event in a game or a surprising result, or whenever in the future there are surprising events or results, followers of the game who have paid good money to watch it live or watch it on television will be left to wonder whether there has been fixing and whether what they have been watching is a genuine contest between bat and ball." He made no orders for compensation regarding the £150,000, adding: "I consider that the NOTW got what it bargained for." He's my only brother, he's my mum's only son; he means everything to us Salman Butt's sister Rubab Pakistan's murky cricket-fixing underworld How Pakistan cricket betting scam unfolded Butt, described as the "orchestrator" of the scam, was sentenced to 30 months for conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and two years conspiracy to help others to cheat at gambling, to run concurrently. His solicitor, Paul Harris, said he would be lodging an appeal against the severity of his sentence within 24 hours.

The player's wife has just given birth to a son and his sister, Rubab, said the family were under stress. Speaking to the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Pakistan, she said: "His wife, ever since she had the surgery with the baby - they haven't been eating, they keep crying." Asif was sentenced to a year for both conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to help others to cheat at gambling, to run concurrently. Amir, described by the judge as "impressionable" was sentenced to six months for both conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to help others to cheat at gambling, to run concurrently. His barrister, Henry Blaxland QC, initially said he would be seeking bail pending an appeal against his client's sentence. But the BBC's James Pearce on Twitter said: "His lawyer told judge that he wouldn't apply for bail after all, but notified judge of intention to appeal sentence." Majeed received two years and 8 months for conspiracy to make corrupt payments and 16 months for conspiracy to allow others to cheat at gambling, to run concurrently.

Butt, Asif and Majeed are thought to have been sent to Wandsworth prison in south London while Amir will serve his sentence at Feltham young offenders' institution in west London. The sentencing of the cricketers is dominating news headlines in Pakistan. BBC correspondents say there is a lot of public anger in Pakistan about the spot-fixing scams. Ordinary people say they feel the country has been let down by the actions of these cricketers. Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said: "Instead of having pride in playing for their country, these players chose to disappoint their supporters, damage the image of their country and bring the noble game of cricket into disrepute. There is little sympathy in Pakistan for the sorry pass they have come to." He said the PCB was introducing measures to stamp out corrupt behaviour, which will include training courses particularly aimed at younger players. The Pakistan government will also be urged to make corruption in sport a criminal offence. WRAP +4:3 Pakistan cricketers jailed for betting scam, reax - YouTube WRAP +4:3 Pakistan cricketers jailed for betting scam, reax Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist.

Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 30, 2015 London, UK - 3 November 2011 ++16:9++ 1. Group approaching along pavement including Former Pakistani cricket team captain Salman Butt (blue shirt, brown jacket, talking on mobile) and his lawyer Paul Harris (black coat with poppy on lapel) 2. Close-up of Butt as he goes under portal of Southwark Crown Court and goes through door 3. Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif (white shirt, black jacket, slicked-back hair) gets out of cab, surrounded by media scrum 4. Asif passes under porch of court surrounded by media 5. Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Amir (chin-length hair parted in centre, checked shirt, black jacket) walking under porch of Southwark Crown Court in media scrum 6. Amir seen inside through glass 7.

Pakistani cricket agent Mazhar Majeed (white shirt, grey jacket, sunglasses) on way into court, media scrum around him 8. Cutaway lawyers outside court talking 9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Paul Harris, lawyer for Salman Butt "Good afternoon. On behalf of Salman Butt, I simply want to confirm that we will be appealing his sentence and lodging grounds of appeal against his sentence within the next 24 hours. Thank you very much." 10. Prison van leaving court, media filming it Gujar Khan, Pakistan - 3 November 2011 ++16:9++ 11. Wide of family of Mohammad Amir seated watching television for news of his sentence 12. Close-up of TV screen showing names and period of imprisonment for the Pakistani cricket agent and three players 13. Various close-ups of tearful face of Amir's mother Naseem Akhtar 14. Close-up of framed family photos of Amir 15. SOUNDBITE (Punjabi) Naseem Akhtar, Mother of convicted cricketer Mohammad Amir "Mohammad was innocent, and what has happened to him is very wrong.

He did not do the no-ball for the sake of money, he was forced to throw the no-ball." 16. Cutaway of family photo of Amir 17. Mid of Akhtar with other family members watching television 18. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Mohammad Ijaz, Brother of convicted cricketer Mohammad Amir "The six-month sentence is too much for him; forget about six months, even six days' punishment is a lot for him." 19.

Mid of Naseem Akhtar and her family Lahore, Pakistan - 3 November 2011 ++4:3++ Pakistan cricket spot-fixing scandal | Sport | The Guardian Pakistan cricket spot-fixing scandal England’s captain, Alastair Cook, has warned Mohammad Amir ‘there will be a reaction’ when he returns to Pakistan’s Test side at Lord’s after a five-year ban for spot-fixing there Published: 3 Jul 2016 Pakistan’s captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, has said Mohammad Amir can be the best bowler in the world, as the fast bowler returns to England for the first time since the 2010 spot-fixing scandal Published: 27 Jun 2016 The Pakistan Cricket Board has submitted a UK visa request for the left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir, who was banned for five years in 2010 for spot-fixing Published: 20 May 2016 New Zealand Cricket has apologised to Pakistan after a cash-till sound effect was played as Mohammad Amir returned from his spot-fixing ban Published: 27 Jan 2016 The Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Amir has thanked Michael Atherton for his support during his ban for

 spot-fixing and described his time away from cricket as the lowest he had ever felt Published: 22 Sep 2015 The banned spot-fixer Mohammad Amir has not been chosen to play against England for either Pakistan or Pakistan A Published: 16 Sep 2015 Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt will be eligible to play again on 2 September Published: 19 Aug 2015 Banned former Test captain Salman Butt has reportedly admitted his role in the 2010 Lord’s spot-fixing scandal to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman Sheharyar Khan in a bid to make an early return to domestic cricket Published: 18 Feb 2015 It's not cricket: Pakistani trio and agent are jailed for spot-fixing roles It's not cricket: Pakistani trio and agent are jailed for spot-fixing roles Paul Kelso reddit More A British court has handed down jail terms to three Pakistan cricketers and an agent for fixing parts of a Test match against England at Lord's last year.

Former captain and opening batsman Salman Butt received 30 months, the longest term of the three players. SHARE Pin to Pinterest PIN Link Caught out ... Pakistan's Mohammad Amir, captain Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif during the Lord's Test against England last year. Photo: Getty Images Fast bowler Mohammad Asif was sentenced to one year, while 19-year-old speedster Mohammad Amir will serve six months. Agent Mazhar Majeed was sentenced to 32 months. All four may be released for good behaviour after serving half their terms. SHARE Pin to Pinterest Link Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Asif arrives at Southwark Crown court for sentencing after being found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and of conspiring to accept corrupt payments. Photo: Reuters Butt and Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of deliberately bowling three no-balls during the Test in August last year as part of a "spot-fixing" betting scam uncovered by Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World. The sentences were handed down on Thursday by a judge at Southwark Crown Court. Amir and Majeed had already pleaded guilty to involvement in the scam.

Advertisement "These offences, regardless of pleas, are so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment will suffice," Judge Jeremy Cooke told the four in court. "Each of you will serve half the time imposed in custody and then be released on licence." The judge said future cricket matches would forever be tainted by the fixing scandal. "Now whenever people look back on a surprising event in a game or a surprising result, or whenever in the future there are surprising events or results, followers of the game who have paid good money to watch it live or watch it on television will be left to wonder whether there has been fixing and whether what they have been watching is a genuine contest between bat and ball. What ought to be honest sporting competition may not be such at all." The judge added that they engaged in corruption in a game whose very name used to be associated with "fair dealing on the sporting field". " 'It's not cricket' was an adage. It is the insidious effect of your actions on professional cricket and the followers of it that make the offences so serious.

The image and integrity of what was once a game but is now a business is damaged in the eyes of all, including the many youngsters who regarded you as as heroes and would have given their eye teeth to play at the levels and with the skills that you had." Majeed claimed on Wednesday that Butt was the driving force behind the conspiracy, introducing him to an Indian match fixer and encouraging him to organise the corruption of the Lord's and Oval Test matches. Majeed's remarkable claim, contested by Butt, came as he appeared in court for the first time since pleading guilty to his involvement in fixing two weeks before the trial of the former captain and Mohammad Asif. Majeed also claimed that Asif was paid £65,000 ($100,000) to prevent him defecting to a gang of rival fixers, and that at least three unnamed Pakistan players had been prepared to engage in fixing on the tour of England last year. Like Amir, Majeed pleaded guilty to counts of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat at gambling, but a reporting restriction preventing publication was in place until Wednesday afternoon.

Amir's guilt was revealed on Tuesday, but on Wednesday he was told by the judge that he did not accept the basis of his plea, which accepts culpability only for the Lord's Test. Justice Cooke said he had heard evidence that suggested his involvement in the conspiracy surrounding the Oval Test, too. Insisting that he was the players' “organiser but not their corrupter”, Majeed set a string of new allegations before the judge in mitigation. He claimed via his lawyer that he was asked to give £65,000 from the News of the World to Asif to prevent him joining forces with a rival fixing ring. Asked by Justice Cooke how much money had been given to the players, Majeed's counsel said Butt received £10,000 and Amir £2500. Pressed to explain the reason for the larger payment to Asif, his counsel, Mark Milliken-Smith, QC, said: “The larger amount was paid in order to ensure that these players remained loyal to these people, the players within the dressing room, rather than others whom he might be tempted by.

That was what he was told.” Asif denied this assertion and, like Butt, reacted with disbelief and anger at the claims of their former agent. Majeed also offered a detailed account of how he was asked by Butt and another unnamed player to co-ordinate fixing. He said Butt first raised the subject of fixing with him over dinner in England during the Twenty20 World Cup in 2009. Butt told him that he knew other players in the squad were fixing, and was frustrated because they were able to buy houses in Lahore that he could not afford despite earning the same salary. Majeed claimed the subject was discussed again in “general terms” by Butt and an unnamed player during the one-day leg of Pakistan's tour of Australia in 2009-10. The agent said he then travelled to Pakistan for family reasons in February this year where the issue was discussed. Two months later, during the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies, Majeed claimed Butt gave him the phone number of "Sanjay", an Indian bookmaker the players said they had met while playing in the Indian Premier League in 2008.

He was also told that two other players were ready to fix during the tour of England. Majeed said he finally met "Sanjay" last year. AP, Telegraph, London Pakistan trio set to go to jail for 'fixing'|Sports|chinadaily.com.cn Pakistan trio set to go to jail for 'fixing' Updated: 2011-11-04 08:00 分享按钮 0 Former Pakistani cricket captain Salman Butt leaves Southwark Crown Court in London after a day of sentencing in his trial on Wednesday. Former star players and cricket administrators united on Wednesday to urge Pakistan to act immediately to save future generations of cricketers from corruption as three of its top players face jail in England. Carl Court / Agence France-Presse Cricketers likely to appeal against sentences after one of the most tawdry episodes in the game's history A British judge jailed disgraced former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt, two of his bowlers and their agent on Thursday for their part in a Test match-fixing scandal which rocked the international game.

Butt, 27, looked aghast as he was sentenced to 30 months in prison at London's Southwark Crown Court, where he and fast bowler Mohammad Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of fixing parts of a Test match against England in August 2010. Asif, 28, was jailed for a year, while 19-year-old bowler Mohammad Amir, who had pleaded guilty to involvement in the scam to pre-arrange no-balls for shadowy South Asian betting rings, was sentenced to six months. Corrupt British agent Mazhar Majeed, 36, who had also pleaded guilty but had denied he had initiated the scam, was given two years and eight months. "These offences, regardless of pleas, are so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment will suffice," Judge Jeremy Cooke told the four men, adding they would each serve half their sentences and then be released on licence. He said the three players were motivated by greed despite the large amounts of money they could earn legitimately, and said he hoped the tough sentences would deter future cricketers from following their example.

The judge also condemned the effect their actions had on the game of cricket "the very name of which used to be associated with fair dealing". "It's the insidious effect of your actions on professional cricket ... which make the offences so serious," he told the court. Cooke said people had regarded the three players as "heroes", but they "procured the bowling of three no-balls for money to the detriment of your national cricket team". "Now, whenever people look back on a surprising event in a game or a surprising result or whenever, in the future, there are surprising events or results, followers of the game who paid good money ... will be led to wonder whether there has been a fix," he said. "What was to be honest, sporting competition may not be such at all. "In Pakistan, where cricket is the national sport, the ordinary follower of the national team feels betrayed by your activities. "You, Butt, Asif and Amir have let down all your supporters and followers of the game." The world of cricket has reacted with dismay to the worst fixing scandal since South Africa captain Hanse Cronje in 2000, but welcomed the convictions as a way of sending an important message that cheats would not be tolerated.

The ICC has already banned Butt for 10 years with five suspended, Asif for seven years with two suspended, and Amir for five years straight after finding them guilty of corruption in February. They are all appealing the bans. The scam was uncovered by the now-defunct News of the World, the tabloid owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and shut down in July over a scandal involving its journalists' role in the illegal hacking of voicemails. At a hearing on Wednesday, lawyers for all the defendants had exchanged claims and counter-allegations in a bid to reduce their clients' sentences, which could have seen them jailed for a maximum of seven years. Majeed claimed the extent of the corruption in the Pakistan team went beyond the current case. The agent's lawyer said he had paid out 65,000 ($104,000) to Asif, 10,000 to Butt and 2,500 to Amir, explaining that the larger amount was paid to Asif to ensure he did not switch to another fixing racket. Lawyers for Butt and Asif had dismissed the claims about the cash.

In a statement read to the court, Amir claimed he had feared for his future in the national side if he did not get involved, but said: "I want to apologize to Pakistan and to everyone that cricket is important to. "I do know how much damage this has done to the game, the game which I love as well, more than anything else in the world." Agence France-Presse Pakistan 'shame' over fixing cricket spot-fixing scam - BBC News Pakistan 'shame' over fixing cricket spot-fixing scam 4 November 2011 Close share panel Image caption There has been immense public anger against the cricketers among ordinary Pakistanis Newspapers and commentators across Pakistan have poured scorn on three cricketers jailed on Thursday for a spot-fixing scam during last year's Test match against England. Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt, fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and their agent Mazhar Majeed were each handed prison terms. Newspaper commentaries on Friday condemned the actions of the four men. There have also been calls for new laws targeting corruption in sport.

"While the players can be prosecuted under existing laws governing gambling and fraud, it is time the parliament should consider legislation specifically targeting corruption in sports," lawyer Zahid Hussain Bukhari told BBC Urdu. 'Sad day' The sentences for the three cricketers has dominated the newspaper headlines and media output in Pakistan, with little sympathy expressed for the cricketers. "They were once the darlings of Pakistan, immensely talented and wildly popular but on Thursday, they cut a sorry figure of shame," Murtaza Ali Shah of The News wrote on Friday. The youngest of the cricketers, Mohammad Amir, spoke to the paper's correspondent and asked for a message to be sent to Pakistani fans seeking forgiveness. All commentators were united in calling Thursday a black day for Pakistani cricket. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif told the AFP news agency that "they deserved this punishment, they had it due." He added that the Pakistan government and Pakistan cricket board should also take action against them. "These convictions will hopefully serve as a deterrent to others in future because cricket should not be allowed to be corrupted by anyone and that is very serious for all of us," he said.

Their judgements echoed the verdict of Pakistan's cricket board on Thursday which said that it was a "sad day " for Pakistani cricket and said the men's actions had damaged the country's image. Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said: "Instead of having pride in playing for their country, these players chose to disappoint their supporters, damage the image of their country and bring the noble game of cricket into disrepute. There is little sympathy in Pakistan for the sorry pass they have come to." Image caption The charges related to the fourth Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's in August 2010 He said the PCB was introducing measures to stamp out corrupt behaviour, which will include training courses particularly aimed at younger players. The Pakistan government will also be urged to make corruption in sport a criminal offence. BBC correspondents say there is a lot of public anger in Pakistan about the spot-fixing scams. Ordinary people say they feel the country has been let down by the actions of these cricketers. But there have been some voices of support for the cricketers. The chief of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami said he "deplored" the verdict and sentencing of the cricketers.

He added that he held the Pakistan Cricket Board responsible for these developments. 'Valuable' no-balls Salman Butt was jailed for 30 months for his part in the conspiracy to bowl deliberate no-balls in last year's Test match against England. Former world number two Test bowler Mohammad Asif, 28, was jailed for one year and bowler Mohammad Amir, 19, has been sentenced to six months. Cricket agent Mazhar Majeed was jailed for two years and eight months. An undercover News of the World (NOTW) reporter paid Majeed £150,000 for details of the precise timing of three no-balls, which the players were persuaded to bowl, which were extremely valuable on the spot-fixing betting market. The men were arrested after the fourth Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010. Cricket ‘Spot Fixing’ Video Scandal Rocks Pakistan - The New York Times The New York Times Europe |Cricket Scandal Rocks Pakistan Search Continue reading the main story Photo On Sunday at Lord's, Yawar Saeed, right, the Pakistani cricket team's manager, caught up on the news with Shafqat Rana, the assistant manager.

Credit Philip Brown/Reuters LONDON — For many Pakistanis, weighed down by their country’s descent into biblical levels of violence and flooding, there was a sense of a final straw in the crude betting scandal that broke over the weekend around the Pakistani cricket team, whose players have long been idols with feet of clay in a nation with few exemplars elsewhere to sustain fragile pride. Even as the Pakistani team faced humiliating defeat by England in a game played on the hallowed grasses of Lord’s ground in London, traditionally regarded as the home of cricket, Scotland Yard detectives interrogated three of the team’s key players — including the captain and an 18-year-old novice who has been the team’s star performer in its series with England — in their hotel on Saturday night. The detectives told team managers that they had been tipped to a “spot fixing” scandal that was about to be splashed across the front page of Sunday’s News of the World , Britain’s most widely circulated tabloid. Spot-fixing refers to a form of corruption that has plagued cricket, soccer and other sports in Europe, particularly Britain, the former colonial power in what is now Pakistan .

Instead of bribing players to fix matches outright, considered too risky for the Asian betting syndicates involved, the schemes often rely on fixing details of play that — while not necessarily affecting a game’s outcome — can attract millions of dollars of bets across Asia. The News of the World, one of the tabloids owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation media conglomerate, ran its top Sunday story under a banner headline that read: “Caught!” Advertisement Continue reading the main story The paper said that an undercover reporter posing as a wealthy businessman planning to bet on the Lord’s game had paid the equivalent of more than $230,000 to a London-based “fixer” who claimed to have seven members of the Pakistan team “in his pocket” and four who had specifically agreed to join in the scheme. On its Web site the newspaper accompanied its story with a video showing the man suspected of being the fixer, Mazhar Majid, 35, sitting in a London hotel room with stacked bundles of British pound sterling notes on a table. Scotland Yard said it had arrested Mr. Majid on suspicion of fraud before interviewing the cricketers. The video appears to show Mr.

Majid telling the undercover reporter details of exactly when during Thursday and Friday’s match at Lord’s, Pakistan’s bowlers — cricket’s equivalent of baseball pitchers — would deliver three “no balls,” cricket terminology that refers to balls ruled foul by umpires because the bowler’s front foot falls beyond a chalk line on the 22-yard pitch at the moment of delivery. As the game developed, the no-balls were delivered by the Pakistani team’s star fast bowlers, Mohammed Asif and the teenager Mohammed Amir, at exactly the moments in the game specified by Mr. Majid in his video exchange with the News of the World reporter. “I’m telling you, if you play this right, you’re going to make a lot of money, believe me,” Mr. Majid told the undercover team, according to the newspaper. When the cricket match in London resumed on Sunday, 12 hours after the Scotland Yard detectives had interviewed the two bowlers and the team captain, Salman Butt, and impounded their cellphones, it was doubtful until the last moment whether the Pakistani players would even play. But play they did, and lose, by a heavy margin.

Although the three Pakistani players were on the field, several of England’s former cricket captains, now working as television commentators, said they suspected it might be a long time, if ever, before they were selected to play for Pakistan again. As the Pakistan players returned to their hotel after the game, a knot of Pakistani fans banged on the team’s bus, and cried their dismay. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up “It’s absolutely disgraceful,” one man shouted. Another man, interviewed by the BBC, appeared to verge on tears. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “The cricket was only good thing that was happening to us, with the floods and everything else,” he said. The captain, Mr. Butt, was evasive when asked at a postgame news conference if the paper’s allegations were true. “I am saying that every person on my team gave 100 percent,” he said. But Pakistan’s embattled government lost no time in reacting, and not to offer any defense.

President Asif Ali Zardari, who spent years in Pakistani prisons over the past decade over allegations that he embezzled millions while his wife, Benazir Bhutto, was prime minister in the 1990s, said through a spokesman that he had “directed that he be kept posted” on the police inquiry in London. He ordered the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, a government appointee and one of Mr. Zardari’s close associates, to submit a personal report. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was more direct. Visiting his hometown, Multan, he told reporters that the allegations against the cricketers had made Pakistan’s 170 million people “hang their heads in shame.” For Pakistanis, the allegations were a fresh body blow. Although their faith in the cricket team has been repeatedly undermined by years of scandal and factionalism within the team, cricket remains hugely popular, as it does in neighboring India, which has faced similar cricket scandals. In both countries, cricket outstrips all other popular entertainment, except possibly Bollywood films.

Former cricket stars like Imran Khan, who led Pakistan to victory over England in the final of the 1992 world cricket championship before entering politics, are enduring household names. Even with vast areas of Pakistan under water, television sets in unaffected areas, in households, cafes and community centers, have drawn eager followers throughout the summer to follow Pakistan’s progress in two separate series played in England, first against Australia, for many years the top team, and subsequently against England. In both series, the Pakistani players performed erratically, mixing episodes of brilliance with almost crass ineptitude, causing many involved in cricket, as officials and commentators, to question whether more than just the no-balls had been fixed in the two series. Advertisement Continue reading the main story In the newspaper’s video, Mr. Majid boasted that he could fix other details of the game, including the number of runs scored in any period of play. Andrew Strauss, England’s captain, was asked after the end of the match whether he worried that other aspects of the series with Pakistan, which England won 3-1, had been subverted. “Hopefully, those fears are unfounded,” he said.

Adding to the woes of Pakistan’s supporters at home, the team has been unable to play in Pakistan for the past 18 months, since the Dubai-based International Cricket Council banned other national teams from playing in Pakistan after a terrorist attack on Sri Lanka’s team in March 2009 wounded six players and left eight other people dead in the city of Lahore. Correction: September 1, 2010 An article on Monday about a betting scandal involving the Pakistani cricket team misstated part of the name of the sport’s international regulatory body. It is the International Cricket Council (not Board). Salman Masood contributed reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan. A version of this article appears in print on August 30, 2010, on Page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: Cricket Scandal Rocks Pakistan, Another Blow To Its Spirits.

Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe Man Utd v Liverpool: The 1915 Good Friday betting scandal - BBC News BBC News Man Utd v Liverpool: The 1915 Good Friday betting scandal By Tom Airey & Paul Burnell BBC News 3 April 2015 Close share panel Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Four Liverpool players, Tom Fairfoul, Tom Miller, Bob Purcell and Jackie Sheldon, were banned after the match Manchester United against Liverpool is one of football's most intense rivalries but few have been as controversial as Good Friday 1915, when one of British sport's worst betting scandals took place. Manchester United against Liverpool is a match which rarely fails to deliver some element of controversy. But the recent Steven Gerrard 38-second red card has nothing on the tie between the clubs 100 years ago. On that day, there were "two matches going on at once" during a crucial bottom of the table clash at Old Trafford. After an approach by a third party, some players from both sides hatched a plot to rig the game for a 2-0 home win, which eventually saw United avoid relegation.

"There was the realistic possibility of relegation for both of the sides - so it was an important match," says Graham Sharpe, a sports writer who has researched the fixture. Image copyright Manchester Libraries Image caption Up to 18,000 spectators watched the match at Old Trafford, pictured here in 1920 Image copyright Manchester Libraries Image caption Old Trafford, pictured in 1922, was the venue for "Britain's first authenticated fixed football match" "It was overshadowed by the First World War, which had been raging for several months, and you could make the case that those players thought to themselves, 'when this season has finished, there may not be one to follow'." Many footballers had already signed up to fight, while others played on. There were rumours about the honesty of the tie, even before kick-off. There were eyewitness accounts of the two sets of players meeting up in Manchester pubs to discuss the outcome, before bets were placed at up to 8/1. Bookmakers were naturally suspicious if they saw "significant amounts of bets" on one particular outcome or score, Mr Sharpe says.

A crowd of up to 18,000 witnessed one of the fixture's most extraordinary passages, when United were 1-0 up and won a penalty. Patrick O'Connell, a centre half and the side's captain, stepped up and hit it so far wide it nearly hit the corner flag, according to match reports. Mr Sharpe explains: "From all reports, he walked back up the pitch laughing as he thought 'well it doesn't matter, we can get another goal whenever we want one'." There are accounts of a dressing room row at half-time, with some players who were not in on the plot threatening not to come out for the second half. And after United got a second goal, the bet was nearly ruined when Liverpool forward Fred Pagnam hit the crossbar. "A number of his teammates gestured angrily towards him," Mr Sharpe says.

Other major sporting fix incidents Image copyright AP Baseball's 1919 Black Sox scandal - "Say it ain't so, Joe," was the apocryphal cry of the heartbroken kid who could not believe his hero, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, could have done such a dastardly thing as throw the 1919 World Series. But it was true, and the United States was rocked by the news that several members of the Chicago White Sox had conspired to fix the outcome of games against the Cincinnati Reds in return for $100,000 ($1.42m /£960k in today's money). Several of their players, including Jackson, were given life bans. Pakistan 2010 cricket spot-fixing scandal - Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt was jailed for 30 months in 2011 for his part in a conspiracy to bowl deliberate no-balls in a 2010 Test match against England. Former world number two Test bowler Mohammad Asif was jailed for one year and 19-year-old bowler Mohammad Amir was given six months.

Sheffield Wednesday 1964 betting scandal - Former Sheffield Wednesday centre half Peter Swan and his fellow player David Layne bet £50 that Ipswich Town would beat their own team Sheffield Wednesday 2-0. They were jailed for four years for "conspiracy to defraud". Swan's eight year ban cost him his place in the 1966 World Cup as he had been a regular in the England team. Failed floodlights scam 1997 - A businessman, with links to Chinese Triad gangs, was convicted of taking part in an Asian betting scam by plotting to black out a Charlton Athletic v Liverpool game. Two previous matches - West Ham united v Crystal Palace and Wimbledon v Arsenal - saw the floodlights fail when the scores were level, a result favourable to a Far East betting syndicate. "It's almost as if there were two matches going on at once." Suspicions were raised almost immediately after the game, with an inquiry announced shortly afterwards. Later that year, Liverpool players Tom Fairfoul, Tom Miller, Bob Purcell and Jackie Sheldon and United's Enoch West, Sandy Turnbull and Arthur Whalley received lifetime bans.

Lawrence Cook, of Chester, and Manchester City's Fred Howard were also banned for their parts in the scam. The Football Association said the players had "sought to undermine the whole fabric of the game and discredit its honesty and fairness." Players were then called up to fight in the war. Image copyright National Football Museum Image caption Sandy Turnbull was killed in the First World War When they returned, many had their bans lifted in recognition of their war efforts, while Turnbull received a posthumous pardon as he was fatally wounded at Arras in 1917. However, Enoch 'Knocker' West, who had refused to admit his role in the plot and even sued the FA for libel, was not pardoned and remained banned from football for 30 years. A recent campaign to clear his name has stalled because the FA said his documents were lost. Alex Jackson, Collections Officer at the National Football Museum, thinks the players' motivations for the plot could be similar to that of the US baseball players involved in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. He said footballers' wages had fallen after the outbreak of war and - similar to the Chicago White Sox players - financial reward was the aim.

Mr Sharpe believes it was "a combination of 'let's stick two fingers up to authority' and 'let's cover ourselves in the event of losing our livelihoods or in fact our lives". Mr Jackson said: "It was probably the biggest scandal of the time as it involved quite a number of players and two of the biggest clubs in the league. "It is interesting that the players were approached by a third party to arrange the scam, but they were never found out". Mr Sharpe said the match changed the way the British betting industry operated. "It was the first major case of its type and will have made the authorities wary of this sort of behaviour. For that reason, it will never be completely forgotten." Pakistan match-fixing trial: Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif found guilty | Daily Mail Online comments A former Pakistan cricket captain faces up to seven years in jail after he was found guilty of a fixing scandal that rocked the sport. Salman Butt plotted to cash in by cheating the multi-billion-pound global betting industry that revolves around the delivery of a cricket ball.

He roped in team-mates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer to deliberately bowl three no-balls at pre-arranged points of a Lord's Test in August last year for £150,000. Scroll down for video Guilty: Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt, left, and Mohammad Asif, right, have been found guilty of match-fixing offences Facing jail: Mazhar Majeed, left, and Mohammad Amir, right, who was just 18 when he bowled no-balls in the scam could be jailed for the parts they played Caught out: Agent Mazhar Majeed sits with a table covered in cash, captured by secret filming carried out by News of the World investigative journalist Mazher Mahmood DICKIE BIRD: THE 'CANCER' AT THE HEART OF CRICKET Leading figures in English cricket have spoken of their fears that betting scams in the sport they love could be even more widespread than is already known. Retired international umpire Dickie Bird, 78, said rigging scams were 'like a cancer' and would 'eat the game away'. He called on the International Cricket Council to carry out more in-depth investigations into fixing allegations.

'I won't say there have been shortcomings but they have got to look at it now and get a grip on world cricket,' he said. 'I never thought I would live to see this day. Never. I cannot think this is happening to our game.' The Professional Cricketers' Association, which represents past and present first-class cricketers in England and Wales, said the Pakistan scandal exposed by the News of the World had a 'major impact' on world cricket. Chief executive Angus Porter said: 'There are still a lot of questions about the extent to which any players in the game are being exposed and rooted out and, indeed, whether this is a one-off linked to a newspaper sting. 'It has been an important case, but nobody should take the view one way or another that this case has been a major breakthrough. It was, in my view, a one-off case.' Former England spin bowler John Emburey, 59, said the Pakistan fixing revelations had changed cricket forever and warned that they could be 'the tip of the iceberg'. He said: 'I think that world cricket has been tainted by these incidents and one never knows if it's actually ever going away.

'The players are very well paid and you would imagine they would not be persuaded into being pulled into a thing like that. 'I think the players have got a huge responsibility that if they know about it they have got to report it. The players have got to police it.' He added: 'The potential is there for those that don't earn a lot of money in international cricket to be tempted into doing it. 'It's very difficult to say one way or the other whether it's going to stop it. I would say probably not.' But the trio were caught out when an undercover reporter from the now-defunct News of the World recorded sports agent Mazhar Majeed boasting that he could arrange for the cricketers to rig games for money. Butt, 27, whose wife gave birth to a second son in Pakistan just hours before his conviction, showed no emotion as a jury returned its verdict at Southwark Crown Court yesterday. The players have already been banned from the sport for up to ten years after the International Cricket Council found them guilty of misconduct. Senior cricket figures welcomed the verdicts but admitted the scandal will cast a long shadow over the sport.

Retired umpire Dickie Bird, 78, said such scams were 'like a cancer' and would 'eat the game away'. The fixing scandal exploded when the News of the World published damning video evidence recorded by star undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood. Posing as a wealthy Indian investor, he won the confidence of Majeed, 36, who bragged that he had made 'masses and masses of money' during more than two years of match-fixing. Majeed, then owner of Croydon Athletic FC, was secretly filmed accepting a pile of cash on the promise that Asif, 28, and Aamer, 19, would deliver no-balls during a Test last August. The deliveries, which were declared invalid because the bowler's foot landed over the crease, took place exactly as promised. Butt was accused of co-ordinating the scam and the jury was shown evidence of dozens of mobile phone exchanges between him and his close friend Majeed. Butt and Asif vehemently denied any wrongdoing but a cricket statistician estimated the chances of the no-balls taking place by chance as 1.5million to one.

Investigators uncovered 9,000 text messages and phone calls between the conspirators and contacts in India, Pakistan and the Middle East in the fortnight before the Test. A jury found Butt and Asif guilty of cheating and accepting corrupt payments after a four-week trial. It can now be revealed that Aamer, tipped to become one of the great fast bowlers, admitted his guilt in September. The players will be sentenced over the next two days. Majeed has been charged with the same offences but was not standing trial. Detective Chief Supt Matthew Horne, who led the Scotland Yard inquiry, said it was cheating 'pure and simple'.

He added: 'They were role models to countless children and have betrayed their trust.' Match in question: Mohammad Amir, left, former captain Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif of Pakistan during the controversial 2010 Lord's Test against England Pakistan's shame: Mohammad Amir bowls a no-ball on demand to allow gamblers in the know to profit through spot-betting No Ball: Pakistan's Mohammed Asif bowled this illegitimate delivery during the Fourth Test at Lord's Greed led to the downfall of global icons Sitting in a wealthy Indian businessman's car where he thought he could not be overheard, crooked sports agent Mazhar Majeed laid bare the shocking scale of match-fixing in world cricket. He said he had been rigging high-profile international games for an Indian gambling syndicate for two-and-a-half years and had six first-team players in Pakistan's national side working for him. The agent gave examples of two matches he had allegedly arranged for Pakistan to lose deliberately - against Sri Lanka during the 2010 Asia Cup and a Test match against Australia in Sydney in January last year.

He claimed that hugely popular former Pakistan fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis had been involved in fixing and alleged that Australian players were 'the biggest' when it came to rigging games. Career-ending: There can be no way back for former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, pictured leaving Southwark Crown Court today, after the verdicts Naming prices, he said fixing part of a match would cost £50,000 to £80,000, but rigging results was much more expensive - around £400,000 for a Twenty20 game, £450,000 for a one-day international and £1 million for a five-day Test. Majeed did not realise the Indian businessman was the News of the World's famous undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood and that all his damning words were secretly being recorded. The meeting in a car outside the Bombay Brasserie restaurant in west London on the evening of August 18 last year - the first day of Pakistan's Test match against England at the Oval in south London - was followed by other encounters between the agent and the journalist. In the course of these negotiations, Majeed revealed in minute detail how match-fixing worked.

Most of the time his players rigged 'brackets', a set period of a game on which punters bet, for example, how many runs will be scored. This is a form of 'spot fixing', where parts of a match are illegally rigged, for example by timing the delivery of a deliberate wide or no-ball, but the overall outcome is not manipulated. Only occasionally did Majeed fix the result of a match because this was much more difficult to arrange, although he was recorded discussing proposals for Pakistan to throw the Oval Test for 1.2 million dollars. The agent boasted that he and his associates were going to make 'a hell of a lot of money' in the upcoming one-day and Twenty20 series between England and Pakistan, claiming they would rig two results within a month. In order to prove his credentials as a match-fixer, Majeed told the journalist that Pakistan fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir would bowl three deliberate no-balls at specific points during the Test against England at Lord's in north London, known as the 'home of cricket', between August 26 and 29 last year. Competing?

Pakistan's Mohammad Asif unsuccessfully appealing for the wicket of England's Alastair Cook during the controversial fourth test at Lords in August last year The agent undoubtedly made exaggerated claims - he said he was on close terms with Brad Pitt and Roger Federer, and arranged a £12 million book deal for footballer Rio Ferdinand - but the no-balls were delivered exactly as he promised. The trial of Asif and former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt lifted the lid on the match-fixing scandal but left unanswered questions about how widespread the corrupt practice is. Majeed later claimed to the undercover reporter that a total of seven Pakistan players were involved in fixing with him, also naming fast bowler Wahab Riaz, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, and batsmen Umar Akmal and Imran Farhat. None of them have faced criminal charges. The agent sent Butt texts suggesting that Pakistani batsmen should deliberately lose wickets at specific points in a crunch game against South Africa during last year's Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.

Majeed also asked the captain to deliberately bat a 'maiden over', where no runs are scored, during the crucial final day of the Oval Test against England, which was a chance for Pakistan to win their first match of the series. There is no suggestion that Butt carried out either of these requests, but he admitted that he failed to report the corrupt approaches as required under the International Cricket Council's code of conduct. Police obtained lists of phone calls made by the players and Majeed, and recovered some of the texts sent and received by the agent, although much evidence could not be found. Majeed's brother Azhar, also a cricket agent, texted him in March last year: 'Let's get f****** hold of cricket and squeeze everything we can from it.' The jury was not told about a series of texts between Majeed and gambling contacts which the prosecution alleged showed he also discussed fixing Pakistan's earlier Tests last summer against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, and Edgbaston, Birmingham, and against Australia at Lord's. On July 12, the eve of the Lord's Test against Australia, an associate using a British number texted Majeed: 'Bro, just spoke to Sanjay.

Bowling first, they should bowl in tandem first for at least first eight overs. Give away a minimum of 47 runs, in first 10 overs please.' And just before midnight on August 7, the second day of the Edgbaston Test against England, the agent wrote to a shadowy Indian contact: 'Bro, now Butt is out anything we do is far too risky. Let's see the position on day four.' Majeed's boasts to the journalist included some extraordinary claims - that 'everyone knew' Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari killed his wife, Benazir Bhutto, and that every Indian and Pakistani cricketer pretended to be younger than they were. He even bragged that he had personally helped cricketers to tamper with balls by going on to the pitch and shaking their hands with Vaseline concealed in his palm. There was a further tragic twist two months after the match-fixing scandal broke when David Le Cluse, 44, the chairman of Croydon Athletic, a football club previously owned by Majeed, was found dead from gunshot wounds near his home in Sutton, Surrey, after apparently taking his own life.

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir allowed to return after match fixing ban | Toronto Star Sports Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir allowed to return after match fixing ban Amir was banned from all cricket after pleading guilty in 2010 to charges of bowling deliberate no-balls at pre-arranged times. He can now compete in domestic cricket. Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir, front, has been allowed to play in Pakistan's domestic cricket, easing out fast bowler's five-year ban which ends in September. (K.M. Chaudary / AP) From left, Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Amir were accused of involvement in an illegal betting scam. (STAFF / AFP/GETTY IMAGES) By Rizwan AliThe Associated Press Thu., Jan. 29, 2015 ISLAMABAD—Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir can make a return to domestic cricket immediately after the International Cricket Council eased his five-year fixing ban which was due to end in September. Amir was banned from all cricket after pleading guilty in 2010 to charges of bowling deliberate no-balls at pre-arranged times during a test against England to fix spot betting markets.

“It’s a new life for me and you will see not only Mohammad Amir as a better cricketer but also a better human being,” the 22-year-old Amir told reporters in Lahore on Thursday. Article Continued Below The ICC said that Ronnie Flanagan, chairman of its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, had decided to “allow Mohammad Amir to return to domestic cricket played under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board with immediate effect.” The PCB wrote to the ICC last year asking for a reconsideration of Amir’s ban. Two other Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were banned for a minimum of five years for similar offences in the same test against England at Lord’s, but both fought against their bans before eventually losing their appeals in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The PCB didn’t raise the cases of Butt and Asif’s bans to the ICC. Amir was reportedly interviewed by the ICC last week in Dubai and Flanagan sought prior approval from the ICC Board and the PCB before deciding to allow Amir back into domestic cricket.

“He (Flanagan) was satisfied that Amir had co-operated with the ACSU by fully disclosing his part in the matters that led to his disqualification, admitting his guilt, showing remorse and co-operating with the Unit’s ongoing investigations and by recording messages for the ACSU education sessions,” the ICC said in the statement. Former captain Mohammad Yousuf said the fast bowler should be welcomed again with a “big heart.” “He has served his punishment and I believe he will be as much effective as he used to be,” Yousuf told television channel Geo TV. “It’s a good sign that such a big player will be making a comeback and I hope he will not repeat his mistake.” Before his suspension Amir took 51 wickets in 14 test matches at an average of 29.09 and 25 wickets in 15 one-day internationals at an average of 24. He also competed in 18 Twenty20 internationals and took 23 wickets. Former chairman of the PCB Tauqir Zia feared Amir didn’t show enough remorse over his wrongdoings and questioned why Butt and Asif were left out.

“I have seen Mohammad Amir a lot after his suspension, if a man doesn’t show enough remorse from inside, he will do it again and will let others to do it too,” Zia said in Lahore. Amir said he wanted to answer his critics with his performance. “Everyone has his own thinking, I should focus on my career and see what I could do for the betterment of Pakistan cricket,” he said. “There are players like Shane Watson, Michael Atherton, Michael Holding, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Imran Khan who are saying that I should come back, so whom should I listen to?” In other decisions taken during the ICC Board meeting, it was also decided to reinstate the “Super Over” in case the World Cup 2015 final is tied. The board also ruled that captains of all the World Cup 2015 teams will not carry any prior over-rate suspensions from other series into next month’s event. Instead, over-rate offences will be carried over to the first bilateral series after the World Cup. Read more about:

Question: What is the name of the Pakistani cricket captain jailed for his part in a betting fix during a match against England in 2010?
Answer: SALMAN BUTT